In Burma With The 1st Rifle Brigade.

India General Service Medal 1854 with clasps "Burma 1885 - 7" & "Burma 1887 - 89".
7052 Pte. J. Foy, 1st Rifle Brigade.

James Foy appears on the 1871 Census as the illegitimate two year old son of Bridget Foy, a 23 year old spoon polisher living in her parents' house at Vale Court, Birmingham. By the time of the 1881 Census, Bridget was living in Digbeth with James, now aged eleven, and Mary, his six year old sister. On leaving school, James found work as a labourer but on 9th October 1884 he met Sergeant Cox of the Coldstream Guards and was persuaded to enlist in the army, agreeing to serve for seven years with the Colours and five years in the 1st Class Army Reserve. James probably lied about his age as, assuming that the information in the Census records is reasonably correct, he can have been barely 15 years old at this point. His Attestation Papers, however, record his age as 18, his religion as Roman Catholic, and describe him as 5' 4" tall with blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion.

On 13th October 1884, James joined the Rifle Brigade at the Regimental Depot in Winchester. After a period of basic training, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion and spent the next two years on home service. In April 1885, he obtained his 4th Class Certificate of Education.

In October 1886, James was posted to the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, which was stationed at Belgaum in India. James would stay with the 1st Battalion for the next five years, during which time he would serve over two years in Burma involved in the military operations to bring the country under British rule and earning entitlement to the India General Service Medal. You can read more about the 3rd Anglo-Burmese War here. In addition, he was awarded his 1st and 2nd Good Conduct Pay, advanced to Lance Corporal (June 1888) and then Corporal (May 1889), and obtained his 3rd and 2nd Class Certificates of Education (August 1889 & February 1890).

James Foy returned to England in December 1891 and was transferred to the Army Reserve, his seven years of service having been completed. In April 1893, he married Mary McHale at St Michael's Catholic Church in Birmingham. After five years in Section "A" of the Reserve, James re-engaged for four years in Section "D" and, as a result of this, found himself mobilised for service in the Boer War in May 1900. He served one year and 128 days in South Africa with the 1st Rifle Brigade, his old Battalion, and was appointed Acting Sergeant on 23rd July 1900. He was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps. You can read more about the Rifle Brigade in the Boer War here.

Late in 1901, James was sent back to the UK and was finally dischargd from the army on 18th October at Gosport. His character was described as "very good" and his intended place of residence was given as Bradford Street, Birmingham. He had served a total of 17 years and 10 days, but his military career was far from over.

In September 1902, at the age of 36, James attested for the Royal Garrison Regiment, enlisting as no: 5662 with the rank of Private, and agreeing to serve for two years garrison duty with the Colours. He was quickly appointed Lance Corporal and, in March 1903, sent to Malta to serve with the garrison at Mtarfa. Soon after arriving, he spent six days in hospital because of a hernia, resulting from a rupture suffered in South Africa in 1901. He would have heard of the birth of his son, James Michael, back in Birmingham on 1st August 1903. He was promoted to Corporal in October of the same year.

In March 1904, James was on his way back to England and was discharged on completion of his two years' service on 17th September. His character on discharge was again described as "very good" and his intended place of residence was now Trent Street, Birmingham.

On 29th December 1904, James again enlisted in the Rifle Brigade in order to serve as a volunteer in the Reserve Division of the Militia. His attestation Papers record the fact that he was working as a clerk for the Birmingham City Gas Office at the time. Four years later, on completion of his term of engagement, he was discharged.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, James Foy once more came forward to serve his country. On 9th September 1914, at the age of 48, he again enlisted as a rifleman in the Rifle Brigade at Winchester. He was immediately promoted to Sergeant and posted to the Depot. In September 1915, he was posted to the 14th (Reserve) Battalion of the Rifle Brigade and appointed Acting Company Quarter Master Sergeant. Early in 1916, he was attached to the 21st KRRC and later in the same year joined the 25th (Reserve) Garrison Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. This unit was employed on coastal defence in the Falmouth area and also supplied drafts for the Territorial Battalions of the Rifle Brigade. It was disbanded on 26th March 1919 and on the same day James Foy was discharged from the army for the last time. He had served in the UK for the duration of the war, his service being recognised by the award of a Meritorious Service Medal, which was announced in the Peace Gazette of 3rd June 1919.

Long Service With The Royal Engineers.

Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps "Cape Colony", "Orange Free State", "Transvaal", "South Africa 1901" & "South Africa 1902".
1914 - 15 Trio.
George V Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal.
119 W.O. Cl 2. J. L. M. Spence, Royal Engineers.

Born in Dundee in 1877, John Matthew Leith Spence first appears in the historical records as a four year old child, recorded on the 1881 Scottish Census, together with his mother Julia and two younger brothers, as a visitor in the house of his grandparents, John and Jane Bond, at 143 Victoria Road, Dundee. By the time of the 1891 Census, he was a 14 year old plumber's apprentice, working with a Mr Brown of Broughty Ferry, and living in Gray Street, Monifieth, with his mother.

At some point, John enlisted in the Tay Division (Submarine Miners) of the Royal Engineers, a volunteer unit formed in 1888 with one company and an HQ based at Broughty Ferry, whose purpose was the planned deployment of mines in the Tay to strengthen the port defences. The idea of full-time soldiering must have held more appeal than working as a plumber as on the 3rd June 1896, at the age of 19 years and 9 months, John Spence attested for the Royal Engineers at Dundee, agreeing to serve for seven years with the Colours and five years in the Reserve. His Attestation Papers describe him as being 5' 9" in height, with good physical development, a fresh complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. His religion is recorded as presbyterian.

John's first 5 years in the army would all be home service but he would quickly make progress in his new career. He qualified in submarine mining and engine driving in 1897, obtained his 3rd Class Certificate of Education in February 1898 and was awarded his 1st Good Conduct Pay the following June. In November 1900, he was appointed Lance Corporal.

Following this, John served almost three years in South Africa, earning entitlement to the Queen's South Africa Medal with five clasps. In March 1902, he was promoted to 2nd Corporal and in April 1903 he returned to the UK. John had now completed his original obligation of seven years service but in June 1903 was allowed to extend his service to complete eight years with the Colours. In December 1904, this was extended to twelve years.

John was now serving with the 22nd Company (Submarine Miners) of the Royal Engineers, which was based on the Isle of Wight but, from December 1904 till December 1907, he had a spell of foreign service with the Mauritius Submarine Miners, during which he suffered from a mild attack of ague, with a resulting 12 days in hospital, and was promoted to Corporal.

Three more years of home service followed, during which John extended the term of his service to complete 21 years with the Colours and obtained his 2nd Class Certificate of Education. He married Emily Edmunds in the parish church of Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight on 25th August 1909, and the birth of a daughter, Gwendoline Emily Caroline, followed at Dover on 12th October 1910.

In November 1910, John Spence was transferred to the 44th Company (Fortress) of the Royal Engineers, based in Kingston, Jamaica, and it was during his time there that he was promoted to Sergeant and saw the arrival of a second child, Frank Matthew Henry.

In March 1914, the family were back in England. John Spence had now completed 18 years of service and was duly awarded a Good Conduct Medal with gratuity as announced in Army Order 412 of October 1914. Promotion to Company Quarter Master Sergeant and transfer to the 24th (A.P.) Company followed as did embarkation for France on 3rd March 1915, the beginning of over four years' service on the Western Front.

Appointed Acting Company Sergeant Major in November 1916, John would spend New Year 1917 on leave in England, before returning to France and being transferred to the 52nd Artisan Company of the Royal Engineers, with whom he would serve till the end of the war. Promotion to Warrant Officer Class 2 followed in April 1918. A fourth child, Joan Muriel Lilian, was born in September 1918 and in the following February John was granted 14 days leave to the UK to see his wife and new baby.

In June 1919, John Spence returned to England for the last time. He was finally discharged from the army on 19th February 1920, having served for 23 years and 262 days. His military character was described as "exemplary" and his intended pace of residence was given as Station Road, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

The Gordon Highlanders At Ladysmith.

Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps "Defence of Ladysmith", "Laings Nek" and "Belfast".
King's South Africa Medal with clasps "South Africa 1901" & "South Africa 1902".
1211 Pte. P. McCabe, Gordon Highlanders.
Ex Thomas Lees Collection.

Philip McCabe, the son of Patrick McCabe, was born in Glasgow in the year 1867. On 14th November 1883, at the age of 16, he attested for the 2nd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders at Dundee, agreeing to serve for 12 years and joining the Regiment two days later at Edinburgh as a boy soldier. His Attestation Papers describe him as just over 5' 2" in height, 111lbs in weight, with grey eyes and brown hair and with extensive tattoos on his chest and arms. Interestingly, his occupation is given as "musician".

Army life does not seem to have been much to Philip's liking at first; just over two months after enlisting, he deserted, remaining absent until the middle of March 1884, when he rejoined, was tried and imprisoned, and spent over two months in confinement, forfeiting all his previous service. Philip saw only home service during his first 14 years in the army but these years included a spell of garrison duty in the Channel Islands from December 1885 till August 1887, serving at Fort George in Guernsey with some time spent on the nearby island of Alderney. After this, the 2nd Gordons spent time in Ireland and it was here in 1890 that the Battalion football team distinguished themselves by winning the Irish Cup, drawing 2-2 against Cliftonville at Belfast on 8th March, and beating them 3-1 in the replay four days later.

By 1895, the 2nd Battalion were back in Glasgow with three more years of home service before them. The following year, Philip McCabe re-engaged to complete 21 years with the Colours. In September 1898, however, the Battalion were on their way to India for a taste of foreign service but, on arriving in that country, they would stay less than a month before being ordered to South Africa, where war with the Boers was now a foregone conclusion. The full story of the Gordon Highlanders involvement in the Boer War can be read here.

The 2nd Battalion of the Gordons were present in Ladysmith throughout the siege of the town and saw plenty of fighting. On 10th November 1899 they were playing a football match against a team from the Natal Regiments. Two minutes into the game, a 90lb shell from one of the Boer guns landed at the side of the ground but failed to stop play. The details of this and other actions during the siege can be read here.

Ladysmith was finally relieved on 28th February 1900 but the 2nd Gordons would stay in South Africa for two more years, enough time for the original members of the Battalion to earn their entitlement to the King's South Africa Medal in addition to the Queen's South Africa Medal.

In January 1902, the 2nd Battalion left South Africa and returned to India. In December of that year, Philip spent a few days in hospital because of a blistered heel caused by ill-fitting boots. In January 1905, he returned to the United Kingdom. Philip McCabe was discharged from the army on 2nd February after having served for just over 21 years in the ranks.
Philip McCabe's medals were originally part of the Thomas Lees collection. Mr Lees was a Scot and most of his collection was of regiments with a Scottish connection. He began collecting at a very early age, although the bulk of his purchases were made from leading London auctioneers and dealers during the 1920s and 1930s. Following Mr Lees' death in 1947, the collection remained intact and in the possession of his family until it was sold at Sotherbys in March 1986.